PCB comprising current line adjacent to boss hole

Abstract

The present invention provides a PCB having a hole-shaped boss hole for fixing a PCB substrate, the PCB having an electrical pattern arranged along the inner side surface portion of the boss hole. Through the present invention, a conventional PCB is utilized as is, and an allowable current can be ensured according to an increase in energy density even in an environment in which physical / spatial restrictions gradually occur.

Description

PCB containing current lines around the mechanism hole

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2023-0160458, filed November 20, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a PCB including current lines around a mechanism hole. Specifically, the invention relates to a PCB including a vertical metal plate for current lines around a mechanism hole (Boss hole) for fixing the PCB to a device.

[0003] Lithium secondary batteries measure and monitor cell temperature, voltage, and other factors for safety. The PCB designed for this purpose is called a Battery Management Unit (BMU), and the battery cell electrode leads are electrically connected to the PCB.

[0004] While IT products like smartphones and laptops are becoming smaller and lighter, the battery modules and packs used in them are actually becoming more dense and high-capacity. Due to space constraints on component placement, BMUs are also becoming increasingly dense. Nevertheless, for IT products with frequent mobility, BMUs must include mounting holes (boss holes) for securing the device.

[0005] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the upper surface of a BMU (100) according to the prior art, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration of a BMU in a battery pack according to the prior art. The xyz shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are applied with the same standard. Referring to Fig. 2, a BMU (100) is placed in the center of a battery cell (200) having an electrode lead (210), and the BMU (100) is connected to an external current line (140). A device hole (120) for fixing the BMU (100) to the battery pack is provided. Referring to Fig. 1, a plurality of welding parts (110) are provided on the left side of the BMU (100). The welding parts (110) are welded to the external current line (140) of Fig. 2. The welding parts (110) are welded to the electrode leads, sensors, external output terminals, etc. of the battery cell. In the central portion of Fig. 1, a fixture hole (120) for fixing a BMU (100) is provided. Each welded portion (110) is connected to a respective current line (130) and is electrically connected to various components within the BMU. In Fig. 1, the remaining parts are omitted except for the main current lines (130) for explanation.

[0006] As the device hole (120) is provided on the horizontal plane (xy plane) of the BMU, the space for horizontally arranging the current line itself becomes insufficient. The device hole (120) is simply a hole for fixing the BMU (100), and the current line must be arranged in the remaining area. As the width of the current line (130) becomes narrower, the maximum allowable current also decreases. As the energy density of the battery module or battery pack increases, the maximum allowable current must also increase, but the problem arises that the space for arranging the current line actually decreases due to the BMU becoming more compact and miniaturized.

[0007] BMUs also feature multilayer PCBs, but despite this, the problem of ever-decreasing permissible current continues to persist. Furthermore, placing high-capacity current lines within the PCB's inner layers is impossible due to issues such as heat generation. Nevertheless, as energy density increases, additional means of securing permissible current must be provided.

[0008] Patent Document 1 relates to a technology for securing electrical connection, i.e., conduction, between a conductor pattern formed on a printed wiring board and a case through an installation screw for fixing the printed wiring board and the case, and for securing grounding, i.e., a ground (GND) connection, to the case.

[0009] Patent document 2 provides a printed wiring board having a thin frame ground portion, and provides a printed wiring board having a frame ground portion 11 in which conductor patterns 13a and 13b are formed around four fixing installation holes 12, and a plurality of through-hole portions 14 provided around the fixing installation holes 12 of the frame ground portion 11, and a cream solder 15 is applied to the through-hole portions 14 in a cream solder printing process in a component mounting process, and the cream solder 15 is melted in a reflow process, and a portion of the molten cream solder 15 is introduced into the through-hole portions 14 to attach it to the conductor patterns 13a and 13b of the through-hole portions 14 and the surrounding portions thereof, thereby forming a solder film.

[0010] Patent Document 3 is intended to prevent a screw hole from being filled with solder without special treatment in a soldering process, by forming a screw hole 16 through which a screw 50 passes in a circuit board 10. Copper foil is not formed on the inner wall of the screw hole 16. A first conductive portion 20 is formed around the screw hole 16 on a first main surface 12 of the circuit board 10. A head 52 of the screw 50 contacts the first conductive portion and is electrically connected when the circuit board 10 is fixed to a case. A ground layer 28 of the circuit board 10 and the first conductive portion 20 are connected at the through hole 18. A second conductive portion is additionally provided on a second main surface of the circuit board 10, and is electrically connected at the through hole 18. When the bis50 is screwed into the screw hole 62 of the fixed pillar 60 of the electronic device case, the bis50 and the second conductive part 22 are electrically connected to the case, and thus the ground layer 28 is electrically connected to the case.

[0011] Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe a grounding configuration in a PCB, in which a conductive material is added to the inner surface or surrounding upper and lower portions of the grounding hole. This is intended to electrically connect the PCB and the case, and thus cannot adequately address the problem of securing a current line, as in the present invention.

[0012] Patent Document 4 is a technology that simply electrically and physically fixes a circular hole and a metal tube inserted therein in the form of a rivet, and thus cannot be a solution to the problems of the present invention.

[0013] Thus, no technology has been proposed that can utilize conventional PCBs and secure allowable current as energy density increases in increasingly constrained physical and spatial environments. In particular, the BMU issues associated with IT products like smartphones and laptops, which are becoming smaller and lighter and thus increasingly energy dense, must be addressed.

[0014] (Prior art literature)

[0015] (Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-090018

[0016] (Patent Document 2) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-212124

[0017] (Patent Document 3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1996-236878

[0018] (Patent Document 4) Korean Patent Publication No. 2179678

[0019] Thus, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can secure allowable current as energy density increases, even in environments with increasingly limited physical and spatial constraints, while utilizing conventional PCBs. In particular, the present invention aims to provide a technology that secures allowable current in BMUs used in IT products, such as smartphones and laptops, where energy density is increasing as they become smaller and lighter.

[0020] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a PCB is provided in which a mechanical hole in the form of a hole for fixing a PCB substrate is provided, and an electrical pattern is provided along the inner side of the mechanical hole. The hole shape of the mechanical hole is typically cylindrical, but is not limited thereto. If necessary, the hole shape of the mechanical hole may be polygonal.

[0021] The electrical pattern may be composed of metal. Any material with conductive properties may be used. Paste-type conductive materials are also acceptable, but copper, typically used in PCBs, is preferred.

[0022] The electrical pattern may be formed of a thin stripe of copper used in the circuit pattern of a PCB. The stripe is arranged along the side of the device hole. The width of the stripe may be smaller than the depth of the device hole. In other words, the circuit pattern of a typical PCB is arranged horizontally on the PCB substrate. In this case, it may be laminated in multiple layers. On the other hand, the electrical pattern according to the present invention is characterized by being arranged vertically.

[0023] Meanwhile, the electrical pattern may be composed of multiple layers. By composing the electrical pattern arranged along the inner side of the mechanism hole into multiple layers, the electrical pattern that is insufficient due to the mechanism hole can be additionally arranged.

[0024] A connecting portion may be added to the upper surface of the PCB and electrically connected to the electrical pattern. The electrical pattern is arranged vertically, unlike the existing circuit patterns arranged on the PCB, and thus a connecting portion that can connect the electrical pattern to the existing circuit pattern is required. Two connecting portions may be provided at the beginning and end of the electrical pattern. The connecting portions are arranged horizontally and are electrically continuous with the electrical pattern.

[0025] A vertical gap portion, which is a vertical cut-out portion extending further from the above-mentioned mechanism hole, is provided, and the electrical pattern can extend to the vertical gap portion. Two vertical gap portions can be provided symmetrically to the mechanism hole, and the connection portion can be electrically connected to the electrical pattern extending to the vertical gap portion. Meanwhile, the electrical pattern can be physically fixed by the vertical gap portion.

[0026] The above electrical pattern may be provided in two portions, left and right, along the inner side of the device hole. The portion of the electrical pattern exposed to the outside may be coated with an insulating material.

[0027] The above electrical pattern can be adhered to the inner side of the device hole.

[0028] A ring-shaped protective member may be added to the outside of the above electrical pattern. The protective member may be an insulator and electrically isolate the electrical pattern from a bolt or the like that is fixed through a device hole.

[0029] The above PCB can be used as a BMU (Battery Management Unit) used in a battery module.

[0030] The present invention also provides a battery module including the PCB.

[0031] The present invention can also be provided in a configuration in which the problems to be solved are arbitrarily combined.

[0032] The present invention provides a PCB having a mechanical hole for fixing a PCB substrate, and an electrical pattern arranged along the inner side of the mechanical hole. The present invention can thereby provide a technology that can utilize a conventional PCB as is and secure an allowable current as energy density increases even in environments with increasingly limited physical and spatial constraints. The present invention can provide a technology that secures an allowable current in a BMU used in IT products, such as smartphones and laptops, which are becoming smaller and lighter and whose energy density is increasing.

[0033] Conventional mechanism holes are non-conductive, but an electrical pattern according to the present invention is added thereto. Unlike conventional circuit patterns, the electrical pattern is arranged vertically, which can provide additional electrical patterns that are lacking. The electrical pattern can be composed of multiple layers. By configuring the electrical pattern arranged along the inner side of the mechanism hole into multiple layers, the electrical pattern that is lacking due to the mechanism hole can be additionally arranged.

[0034] The electrical pattern may be composed of multiple layers, or two holes may be provided on the left and right sides of the inner side. In this case, the multiple layers or the patterns provided on the left and right sides may be used as separate transmission means.

[0035] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of the upper surface of a BMU according to the prior art.

[0036] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration of a BMU in a battery pack according to the prior art.

[0037] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mechanism hole according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mechanism hole according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, so that those with ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, when describing the operating principles of preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, if a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0040] Additionally, the same drawing reference numerals are used for parts with similar functions and actions throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only direct connections but also indirect connections with other elements intervening. Furthermore, inclusion of a component does not exclude other components unless specifically stated otherwise, but rather implies the inclusion of additional components.

[0041] Hereinafter, a PCB according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The PCB according to the present invention differs from a conventional PCB only in the mechanism holes and the electrical patterns arranged therein. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a mechanism hole according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 omits other components of the PCB and only shows the components of the mechanism holes and the electrical patterns arranged therein. Fig. 3 a) is an enlargement of only the mechanism hole portion. b) shows only the electrical patterns and connections, and c) is another modified example of the electrical patterns.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, a PCB, specifically, a hole-shaped mechanism hole (520) for fixing a BMU (500), and an electrical pattern (550) arranged along the inner side of the mechanism hole (520) are provided. The hole shape of the mechanism hole (520) is a cylindrical shape. The electrical pattern (550) is a copper metal used in the PCB. The electrical pattern (550) is a copper metal formed in a band shape. The band shape is arranged along the side of the mechanism hole. The width (W) of the band shape may be equal to or smaller than the depth (D) of the mechanism hole (520). The circuit pattern of a typical PCB is arranged horizontally on the PCB substrate, but the electrical pattern (550) according to the present invention is characterized in that it is arranged vertically.

[0043] A connection portion (560) may be added that is located on the upper surface of the BMU (500) and electrically connected to an electrical pattern (550). Unlike the existing circuit pattern arranged in the BMU, the electrical pattern (550) is arranged vertically, and thus a connection portion (560) that can connect it to the existing circuit pattern is required. Two connection portions (560) are provided at the beginning and end of the electrical pattern (550). The connection portions (560) are arranged horizontally and are electrically continuous with the electrical pattern (550).

[0044] The connecting portion (560) may be connected continuously to the circuit pattern of a conventional BMU without being configured in a separate form, but since the electrical pattern (550) according to the present invention is in a vertical form, a separate connecting portion (560) may be provided as shown in FIG. 3 and the connecting portion (560) may be connected to the circuit pattern of a conventional BMU.

[0045] A vertical gap (525), which is a vertical cut-out gap extending further from the mechanism hole (520), is provided, and an electrical pattern (550) extends to the vertical gap (525). Two vertical gaps (525) are provided symmetrically to the mechanism hole (520), and a connecting portion (560) is electrically connected to the electrical pattern (550) extending to the vertical gap (525). The electrical pattern (550) is fitted and fixed by the vertical gap (525). Fig. 3 c) is an example of a modification of one of the connecting portions (560). The connecting portion (560A) of Fig. 3 c) is in a form that is directly fixed to the upper surface of the BMU (300) even when the vertical gap (525) is absent. The connecting portion (560A) can be arranged at both ends of the electrical pattern (550), in which case a separate vertical gap (525) is not required.

[0046] Although the electrical pattern (550) of Fig. 3 is composed of only one, it is possible for these to be transformed into multiple layers. By configuring the electrical pattern arranged along the inner side of the mechanism hole (520) into multiple layers, it is possible to additionally arrange the electrical pattern that is insufficient due to the mechanism hole. In this case, the electrical pattern is also inserted into the vertical gap in multiple layers. However, if the electrical pattern arranged in multiple layers operates as an independent circuit, the connection portion (560) must also be provided in multiple numbers. In Fig. 3 a), only one connection portion (560) is provided at each of the start and end points, but these may be provided in multiple numbers. In this case, the vertical gap portion is further extended, and the connection portions (560) may be electrically short-circuited, but may be arranged adjacent to each other.

[0047] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mechanism hole according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except that the electrical pattern is provided with two mechanism holes on the left and right sides along the inner side, and thus, description of the overlapping portions is omitted.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 4, in the second embodiment, two electrical patterns (550) are provided on the left and right sides along the inner side of the device hole (520). Accordingly, the number of connection parts (560) has also increased from two to four. The two electrical patterns (550) may be configured as a single electrical connection, or an insulator may be added between the two electrical patterns (550) to form two separate electrical connections.

[0049] Additionally, the portion of the electrical pattern that is exposed to the outside may be coated with an insulating material, or the electrical pattern may be adhered to the inner side of the device hole. Furthermore, a ring-shaped protective member may be added to the outside of the electrical pattern. The protective member may serve as an insulator and electrically isolate the electrical pattern from bolts or the like that are secured through the device hole.

[0050] The present invention also provides a battery module including the PCB.

[0051] As described above, specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail. To a person having ordinary skill in the art, such specific descriptions are merely preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope and technical idea of ​​the present invention, and it is natural that such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the appended patent claims.

[0052] (Explanation of symbols)

[0053] 100, 500: BMU

[0054] 110: Welding

[0055] 120, 520: Instrument Hall

[0056] 525: Vertical gap

[0057] 130: Current line

[0058] 140: External current line

[0059] 200: Battery cell

[0060] 210: Electrode lead

[0061] 550: Electrical Pattern

[0062] 560, 560A: Connector

[0063] D: Depth of the mechanism hole

[0064] W: Width of electrical pattern

Claims

1. In a PCB having a hole-shaped mechanism hole for fixing the PCB board, A PCB having an electrical pattern arranged along the inner side of the above-mentioned mechanism hole.

2. In paragraph 1, The above electrical pattern is a PCB made of metal.

3. In paragraph 1, The above electrical pattern is a PCB composed of multiple layers.

4. In paragraph 1, A PCB having a connection portion positioned on the upper surface of the PCB and electrically connected to the electrical pattern.

5. In paragraph 1, A vertical gap portion is provided, which is a vertical cut gap extending further from the above-mentioned mechanism hole, The above electrical pattern extends to the PCB vertical gap.

6. In paragraph 1, The above electrical pattern is a PCB in which two mechanism holes are provided on the left and right sides along the inner side.

7. In paragraph 1, A PCB in which the portion of the electrical pattern above that is exposed to the outside is coated with an insulating material.

8. In paragraph 1, The above electrical pattern is a PCB that is bonded to the inner side of the mechanism hole.

9. In paragraph 1, A PCB having a ring-shaped protective part added to the outside of the above electrical pattern.

10. In paragraph 1, The above PCB is a PCB used as a BMU (Battery Management Unit) for a battery module.

11. A battery module comprising a PCB according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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